KEEP HOPE ALIVE: I remember a sketch -- I think it was on In Living Color -- of the final press conference of a Jesse Jackson presidency. Asked about his campaign promises, Jackson said that he delivered on the most important one, to "keep hope alive." He then had a cryogenically frozen Bob Hope wheeled out for all to see. For some reason, during the to do following Hope's death, it came to mind. Here's a fun tribute to Hope by Jesse Walker:

One of my favorite Dennis Miller jokes is an old one-liner from Weekend Update. "The statute of limitations on respecting Bob Hope for his early work ran out today," he said, apropos of nothing and all the funnier for it. The gag got a good laugh from the audience -- this was in the 1980s, when there were still some people who remembered Hope's early work and why it might be worth respecting.